Chapter 3~Whisked Away
Diana Chen: Constellation Fighter We caught a taxi to the airport, as none of us were old enough to drive, and it took less than five minutes to get to our destination, which I thought it pretty strange, as usually the freeway to the port is extremely packed from the evening until well into the night. Elpis, Catherine, and I cautiously walked into the building to check in. However, we did not stop at the boarding area. Elpis lead us straight to a fire exit and pushed the door. I was ready to panic when I hear the alarm, wondering why she led us into a trap. Instead of hearing the alarm though, I saw an entryway to a plane. "Welcome to Hunter Airlines Flight 286. Relax, pay attention, and enjoy the ride," Elpis said over the speaker from the cockpit. "When was she licensed to fly?" I asked Catherine. "Never," she responded. "It was taught to her, and she's the best out of all the Hunters." "What did she mean by 'pay attention'?" I questioned. Catherine said, "We can be attacked at any point at any time. We can relax while we are traveling, but we demigods always stay alert for dangers." Just then, the plane shook. "Minor goddess Khione and minor god Summanus. Be prepared for their craftiness. I repeat, it is Lady Khione and Lord Summanus," Elpis said. I looked outside, and I could see the snowflakes forming against the glass in the night sky. Lightning struck the aircraft several times outside. Catherine sprinted to the cockpit to try to help the Hunter, but it was no use. Suddenly, all the furniture, seats, and walls were piled with icicles. A teenager, around eighteen, stood in the middle of the room, on top of the coffee table. "I hate that pesky Hunter calling me a minor goddess," she sneered. The plane dropped. Apparently, she iced my friends too. Khione said, "The creator has lost, but great-grandfather is stirring. I shall feed him power, and the age of the gods shall decline. I have lost once, but this time I shall win. The previous generation is too old to fight, and there will be no Percy Jackson to save them. And you, my dear, will play an important role in the game. You shall be our puppet." I balled up my fists, ready to punch, but Khione disappeared in a bright white light. While I closed my eyes, an ancient voice filled my head and it cackled and said, "My puppet, you shall play straight into my hands. I may not be as strong as my creator and wife, but I will destroy the gods and mortals and rebuild the world the way I like it. I am working my way up to being stronger. Oh, of course, you will try to stop me, but I am too strong to stop. Before I leave, let me tell you this: I win, even before you started." The voice faded away, but the ice was still there. I was too shaken to move at first, but when the plane dropped again and the lights started flashing red, I rushed to the pilot's seat. I frantically looked for the emergency button. When I pressed it, a voice came from the other end. "Hello, this is Eric. Please state you name, you status, and your situation. Over." "I'm Diana," I said. "I don't know my status, but my situation is that Khione dropped by, and she froze the pilot." "The voice on the other end was silent. Then it asked, "Is it Flight 286, Hunter Airlines?" "Yes." "I have put you on autopilot, and it shall take you straight to Olympus. I have also sent a dispatch team. It should be there soon." I was relieved, thinking how I didn't have to run the plane, but I became bewildered when Eric said 'Olympus'. "Wait, wait, wait. Why are we going to Olympus?" I demanded. "Oh, you must be a new demigod. Welcome to the godly side of the universe. I am taking you to Olympus in Manhattan because that was your destination anyways; at least that's what Elpis put." Although still confused, my voice remained calmed. "Thank you for helping me," I told the speaker. "Sure. I am over and out." The button went dead. Exactly thirty minutes later, the dispatch team Eric has promised came. However, how the got into the craft was not how I expected. When they first came, they sent me a signal to the plane, giving them complete control. Then, they dropped the carrier down to about a hundred feet aboveground. The demigods from the other plane sent me a message, which said, "We are the demigod dispatch team. We are sending six people shortly." They dropped from the plane above to the craft I was in, and they drilled a hole on the top, which I though it strange. But Alex, apparently the leader, reassured me that godly magic will seal it up. Rushing to the cockpit, the campers got to work on my frozen friends. After ten minutes, Elpis and Catherine was thawed and warmed up, and the Apollo team, as they told me that they were the descendents of the sun god, left. Elpis continued onto our flight to Olympus...in New York. I decided to take the co-pilot seat while Catherine rested in the back. "Why are we going to Olympus?" I asked Elpis. "Lady Artemis and the Hunters come and go, making it hard to find them," Elpis said. "To see where they are, we go to Olympus to find them." "I thought Olympus was in Greece!" "It was, but as civilization moves, so do the gods. We are in the western civilization currently, and the flaming heart is in the U.S.A. Because America was influenced by the Greeks, many of Greek former designs are here today." Elpis continued, "In the near future, maybe the Greek Civilization will move to Asia, but in the meantime, it is here." "What were some former places?" "Rome, Byzantine, United Kingdom, and others." Catherine came in and interrupted, "Are we landing soon? I see the Twin Towers memorial." "Yep, we are now," Elpis confirmed. As she pulled the lever to gain some drag, I saw many spectacular sights of the crowded city. Reflecting on the trip, it felt really fast, as it only took us five hours to go from sea to shining sea. I quickened my breath as I looked at the landscape in front of me; I have never seen that many people at one place at a time. However, I missed the peaceful scene back in Hawaii, where I was able to see the glowing red sunset. I made a mental note to go visit home again. We walked as quickly as we could to the Empire State Building, which was not very fast because already at seven o'clock, people were crowding the streets of Times Square. When we pulled into the building, a security guard looked up from his book at his booth. "May I help you?" he asked. "600th floor, please," Catherine said. "There is only 101 floors, are you sure you got the right address?" he inquired. Elpis walked next to him at an impossible speed, whipping out a knife from her pocket. She hissed, "Oh, very funny. Try your games on someone else. I'm here to see my lady." The security guard's eyes widened at the gleaming tip. He drew his card and placed it in the Hunter's waiting hand. "I suppose you know the way," he stammered, hurriedly grabbing his book to draw his attention away from Elpis' threatening glare. When we got to the elevator, I asked, "Did you really have to hurt him?" Elpis answered, "He can see through the Mist. He is also extremely cautious. While he knows me, he doesn't trust you, as he has never seen you before. I also act that way to him as he tried to flirt with me before, and as a Hunter, I have no feelings for him. He's really annoying." We hear a snicker, but Catherin's chuckle died when Elpis stared at her with the petrifying electric eyes. As we walked the corridors of Olympus, the city's gleaming lights illuminated the floor. Teenagers were sitting in a clump next to a stage, listening to a band of women performing music. When I looked at Catherine with a questioning glance, she said, "Minor gods and goddesses. The ones onstage are the Muses." As we walked by them, they glanced at us. Elpis waved at them, and they waved back. Elpis asked the nearest one, "Is Lady Artemis on Olympus right now?" "Yes," he answered, "but not for long. There has been trouble brewing in the sky, and Zeus ordered her to fight." He looked at me. "I also see that you have brought the demititan of the prophecy. Welcome to Olympus, Diana." Elpis, hearing the news that Artemis will be soon leaving, snatched Catherine and my hand before I could say anything to the teenage god. Elpis led us into apparently the throne room. A girl, around twelve, looked as if she was waiting for us. "Welcome, my darlings," she said. She was wearing a silver fur coat. In her hand, she held an elaborate bow and strapped across her back, a quiver full of arrows were ready to be played into action. Elpis knelt. "Lady Artemis." "Catherine and I followed her example. "Rise, children," she politely ordered. To Catherine, she said, "Daughter of my silly twin, you are dismissed. Tell Chiron and Lupa my greetings." My friend bowed again and left the room. Artemis looked melancholy as the daughter of Apollo walked away. "A great archer…if only she didn't fall for that boy," she whispered quietly. The goddess straightened up so quickly that her small episode made it look like a dream. "Come and we shall leave," Artemis said. As she spoke, a chariot with glowing silver reindeers appeared in the center of the room. "Call your cousin Elpis, she's in the garden," Artemis ordered. Elpis sprinted out of the room, and while I prepared to follow her, Artemis' hand held my shoulder. I turned around in question. "Come, Diana, let me introduce you to the first and last Olympian," Artemis said. I followed the girl to the other end of the room, where a six-year-old kid was sitting tending the fire. She stood up when we reached near her. "Lady…," I racked my brain for the right name of the goddess, thinking what Mr. Dranias taught us. "Hestia?" "Yes, my dear. Welcome to our family. Diana, you are different, but you are the next savior of Olympus." Hearing that phrase again, I cried, "What am I supposed to do?" "I can't tell you what the Fates proclaim, but I will tell you this: your life will be tough, like the former savior, but you will have help. Good luck, Diana." She disappeared into the fire just as Elpis and another Huntress burst through the door. "My lady, what are my orders?" the other girl inquired. Artemis said, "Thalia, this is Diana. Diana, Thalia, daughter of Zeus, great-aunt of Elpis, and my lieutenant." Thalia smiled warmly, which I returned. "Let's go, we should be on our way," the goddess quipped. With that, we ran to the chariot, and we flew into the sky. Athletiger Talk~Diana Chen 16:25, October 21, 2012 (UTC) Category:Chapter Page